A Front Door for the Humanities
Dicke Hall, as part of the broader overall Chapman-Halsell Complex project, will be a defining presence for Trinity on Hildebrand Avenue, and a more visible connection to the San Antonio community.
The new Complex will not only improve student outcomes and address aging infrastructure, but will also support admissions when prospective students and parents visit Trinity’s campus.
Amenities
Dicke Hall will house the Humanities Collective, the Department of English, and the Department of Religion. Building amenities are student-centered and create collaborative environments that reflect modern educational practices.
State-of-the-art classrooms
Ample writing surfaces and movable furniture
Improved classroom acoustics and screen projection
Offices, conference rooms, and collaborative commons spaces
Location
This new building is part of the Chapman-Halsell Complex, situated to the north of Halsell Center, and adjacent to the Elizabeth Huth Coates Library.
Building Specifications
40,000 square feet
3 stories
2 department homes (English, Religion)
6 classrooms
1 lecture hall
1 screening room
multiple collaborative common spaces
The spacious, two-story porch off the Commons of Dicke Hall will look out toward the new courtyard and the Great Hall in Chapman and will serve as an outdoor living and study space for students, faculty, and guests.
Floor-to-ceiling windows open interior classrooms to views of the green space, highlighting the concurrence of indoor and outdoor life on campus.
Furnished with comfortable couches and armchairs for reading or studying and tables where small groups can gather, the Humanities Commons will be the centerpiece of Dicke Hall and a destination for the Trinity community.
Classrooms in Dicke Hall will be uniquely customized for the teaching and learning needs of their majors and departments, giving students hands-on opportunities to discover new ways of critically thinking, researching, and analyzing.
The Screening Room in Dicke Hall will serve as an academic space for scholars across majors to complete work requiring the analysis of film and video. It will also serve as a publicly accessible space for Trinity showcasing various media to a campus and community audience.
Floor-to-ceiling windows bring a wealth of daylight to one of several Collaboration Labs in Dicke Hall, designed for group study.
Departmental resources may be housed in a Collaboration Lab for students’ use outside of class.
Situated adjacent to department faculty offices and brightened by skylights, Department Commons feature comfortable seating where students may study or meet informally with instructors.
Dicke Hall, as seen from Hildebrand Avenue, will feature outward-facing architectural details similar to those of Chapman and Halsell.
The pedestrian bridge connecting Halsell to Dicke Hall encourages students to discover connections beyond their chosen fields of study.
A shaded green space utilizes existing tree canopy to provide additional outdoor options for studying and socializing.
Honoring Trinity’s historic district status, the Hall's exterior will continue to reflect O’Neil Ford’s design principles, as seen in this courtyard view of Dicke Hall and the Halsell Center.
Sustainable, adaptive reuse, complemented by the construction of the new Dicke Hall, will complete the Chapman-Halsell Complex.
Mass Timber Construction
In a nod to O’Neil Ford’s tradition of engineering innovation, Dicke Hall will be constructed using a mass-timber structural system.
A combination of aesthetics, structural performance, and opportunity for innovation have allowed mass-timber construction to take root. Mass-timber buildings have primary load-bearing structures—wall, floor, and roof construction—made of either solid or engineered wood. They have a lighter carbon footprint, provide fire and life safety, and biophilic aspects have been linked to improved health and well-being.
Building Progress
Groundbreaking
Spring 2021
Tree Topping
Winter 2021
Move In
Summer 2022
Grand Opening
Fall 2022
Directions and Parking
Address: One Trinity Place, San Antonio, TX 78212
Parking and Accessibility
Accessibility Accommodations
Contact
For further assistance, please call the Trinity University Police Department at 210-999-7070.
Accessibility Information – Campus Map
Check out the accessibility section on Trinity's campus map for information about accessible parking and entrances. Use the way finding feature to see accessible paths across campus.